The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-01-10

Tho New South Is rapidly coming for
ward in the matter Of new industries, the
establishment. OF which are working Isdl-
cL charges in that section OF the country.
TAe Charleston Ners and Courier touchts
upon vital point IN this matter. lttays
cotton IL no L n yer king in South Carolina.
Tue latest Ietur1a show that the product
OF cotton per acre averaged only Sl",
while that Of potatoes was fsS. The infer.
once is that the soil has been exhausted
by the cotton culture Of years past, and
and that iood crops will have to be raiaed
after the lands have been renewed by the
fertilisets which sre 80 abundant there.
The came paper also refers to the exodus
OF the negroes from that State to the richr
sections OF tho Mississippi Valley as the
result OF this aoil exhaustion. Undoubt-
eddy this reason haa something 10 DO with
1t, but n moro pertinent Que might have
been found In tho abuses Of tho gang and
contract labor systems which have pre-.
vailed there 60 long and which have LETT
the negroes helpless in the hands Of con-
tractors.
Tho New Orleans picayune, comment
Ing upon this charge, 10 Of opinion that
the plantation sys.em and the caste OF
cotton lorde are about to pass away, thst
til plantations will BE- cut up into small
farms, that they will BIO managed by
tarnsra inatead Of by planters. and Chat
IS the negro moves out the white man,
seeking in more genial cline escape
from tho rigors OF Northern latitudeF,
will move in and occupy the land, and
that in the meantime capital and entar.
price will open mines and build factories
Tor the utilization OF the vast amour: OF
raw material OF every aort Which is to be
found there" +"
On this the Ch;cpgo Tribune rsmarks:
"Tajs is glowing picture Of what might
happen under favorable conditions in the
other S.atea Of ttia N,w South. but those
con iitions must DO first realized. Ali
o.nsr things being equal, the negro is
better cultivator for those States than the
white man, .nd there is no reason il he is
properly treated why he should not re-
min there and raise food products just as
he has been raising cotton. II ho hsd the
sanD opportunities that he has in the
North, if be were ss we'll paid and we're
allowed an opportunity 10 get land and
enjoy the reward, OF his toll, there would
be no reason for him 10 leave South Caro-
lima or any Of the Older Southern States.
There is little iIducement for North
ern fsrmers TO 20 South, nor
ara they 60 eager to escape tho
rigor OF Northern ATTITUDES as tho
Picayuas imaginea. Extraordinary ed.
van,ages will hayo to be offered them and
tbs Southern people will have to abste
many Of their pyejudicss before Northern
thrift, ekill and industry will play any
considerable part ID building up the New
South. The same is true Of capital. The
Southern people can only obtain that CAPT
tai from the North, and bsfors it goes
there it will not only demand to know the
nature Of its Investments, but it will want
soma assurance that tho South ia going to
rnoet the North fully half way and that 1t
will BIO as un.ramm sled there as it is here.
But, after all, it is idle to count upon
Northern white labor as factor
ia the development OF the New
South. The prosperity Of that sec
ton iron, an industrial point Of
views depends upon the negro rscs and
to the extent that Its natural labo,els
ara encouraged, remunerated. and p,o-
tcctcd by their social, political. and in
dustrial rights the New South viii! be |
prosperous, aud to the extent that the
South gets through with the nonsense Of
Southern rights and State rights and |
sectional prejudices will Northern capital !
seek investment there. There is yc,y}
little sentiment in the North about this |
matter. 1t wishes well to the South, and
is willing at any time to meet it halfway
on tho mutual ground Of Union rights
and principles, Of the equality OF all eti-
zens before tho law, and Of equal sdvan-
tagss to white and black. That kind Of |
Nov South will be likely to prosper.